Chapter 5

Hazel POV

Early the next morning, Adam and I had just changed clothes and were about to leave when Winnie followed us.

She stood in the entryway, fingers twisting her hem, looking pitifully at Adam.

"Hazel, are you going out? Can I come with you?"

Adam's brow furrowed slightly. His tone softened. "Winnie, be good. Your health isn't good. Stay home and rest."

Winnie's eyes immediately reddened, her voice full of grievance. "I don't have any friends here. If you won't take me, I'll just be stuck at home alone."

I didn't keep listening. I turned and walked outside.

Because I knew Adam would definitely give in.

Sure enough, less than a minute later, Adam followed with Winnie in tow.

I opened the passenger door and had just sat down when Winnie came to the window, looking pitiful.

"Hazel, can I sit in front? I get carsick in the back."

I glanced at Adam.

His expression was unreadable. He said nothing.

I quickly nodded, pushed open the door, and moved to the back seat.

Adam seemed momentarily stunned, as if he hadn't expected me to agree so readily.

The car pulled out of the Jones family gates. Winnie sat in the passenger seat, chattering nonstop about stories from abroad, college memories, and the shows she was watching.

Adam looked at her with a smile, occasionally responding gently.

They both seemed to forget there was another person in the car.

I leaned back in my seat, eyes closed, palm covering my lower abdomen.

At a turn, an oncoming truck ran a red light and headed straight for us.

Adam jerked the steering wheel, instinctively pulling Winnie in the passenger seat into his arms.

In the massive crash, my forehead slammed hard against the window frame. Warm blood ran down from my brow bone. My vision instantly turned red.

Before losing consciousness, I heard Winnie crying, "Are you okay?"

Adam responded urgently, "I'm fine. Winnie, are you hurt?"

No one asked about me in the back seat.

The ambulance came. The emergency personnel opened the door to check for injured.

"There are two injured. We can only take one first. The one in back. Head injury, bleeding. Situation is serious."

"Take her."

Adam didn't hesitate. He pointed at Winnie in the passenger seat. "Take her first."

The emergency personnel hesitated, looking at me in the back seat covered in blood, then at Winnie in the passenger seat with only a scraped arm.

"Sir, the one in back-"

"I said take her." Adam repeated, his tone brooking no argument.

That was the last thing I heard before losing consciousness.

When I regained awareness, I smelled strong disinfectant.

I hadn't opened my eyes yet. My head felt like it was splitting. Then I heard movement nearby.

Two nurses were talking in low voices.

"These two sisters really have different fates. The other one just has soft tissue contusion and a tiny scrape on her arm. Her boyfriend not only had the ambulance take her first, but made all the doctors stand by to treat her first."

"Right? This one got eight stitches in her head, has a concussion, and almost lost the baby. She had to wait in line for over two hours before being brought in. She's been here two days now and the father of her child hasn't even shown his face."

"The one in the next room. Her boyfriend stays with her all day, bringing her water and tucking her in."

I smiled bitterly to myself.

Boyfriend? Right. Adam had always been Winnie's boyfriend, not my husband.

I didn't even have a real marriage certificate.

I stayed in the hospital for five days.

In those five days, Adam never came once.

Mom and Dad didn't appear either.

I signed my own admission forms, paid my own bills, held onto the wall to go for tests. I moved slowly through the corridors alone.

I didn't feel sad.

I'd been alone all my life. I was used to it.

Then Adam came along, and I thought things had changed.

Now I was just going back to life without Adam.

On the fifth day, I completed discharge procedures and took a taxi home alone.

The moment I pushed open the door, I froze.

Winnie was wearing my pajamas, curled up on the couch I'd chosen, covered with my blanket, eating snacks and watching TV.

The sound of a spatula came from the kitchen, along with a pungent spicy smell wafting out.

Adam was cooking, clearly not for me.

Winnie saw me and immediately came over with a smile.

"Hazel! My health isn't good. He said the air here is better and told me to move in for a while to recover. You don't mind, do you?"

Just then, Adam walked out of the kitchen carrying dishes.

Seeing me, a flash of guilt crossed his face, quickly suppressed.

"Hazel, you're back. I was just about to go see you at the hospital. Come, let's eat first."

I'd been lying in the room next to Winnie's for five days, and he said he was "just about to" come see me?

I didn't respond. I gave a self-mocking smile.

I didn't see the familiar figure.

Usually at this time, Lucky should have bounded over.

My heart sank. I stared at Adam. "Where's Lucky?"